The Keely look-alike paused outside the dance club and Noah paused, too. Of course she wasn’t Keely, but now he had to be absolutely positive before he could walk on past.
She dug in her shoulder purse for something and came out with a small leather notebook. Flipping it open, she shoved her sunglasses to the top of her head while she studied whatever was written there. Snapping the notebook shut, she thrust it back into her purse and stepped toward the entrance.
“Excuse me.” He moved toward her and came up with the first line he could think of. “Could you tell me what time it is?” Damn, she even smelled like Keely. She’d been partial to raspberry-scented body lotion.
Without looking at him, she glanced at her watch. Then she raised her head and gazed in his direction. “It’s two-fif—” She stopped abruptly and stared at him.
He gasped and his heart began to hammer the way it always did in reaction to her. Those eyes. God, they were more potent than ever.
“Noah?” Her mouth gaped open. “Noah Garfield, is that you?”
“It’s me.” The shock of seeing her made his head buzz.
“Wow.” She let out a breathless little laugh. “I can’t believe this.”
“You can’t believe it? I can’t believe it. I was just thinking about you and then bam, you showed up.” Whoops. He shouldn’t have said that.
“Really?” Her kiss-me-now mouth curved in a smile. Her lipstick was the color of a ripe peach, and she must have recently put it on, because it still had a gloss that made her mouth look wet. “After all these years? How flattering.”
“Well, I—uh…” Damn it all, now he was blushing.
Her smile widened. “Couldn’t be the sign flashing over our heads that reminded you of me, now, could it?”
As usual, she knew right where to press to make him squirm. “Now, Keely, that’s the sort of thing best forgotten, don’t you think?”
“It’s obvious you haven’t forgotten it.” She reached out and patted his arm. “That’s okay. It’s not every day that the girl you used to chase around the stock tank decides to bare her all in a centerfold. Folks in Saguaro Junction aren’t used to that kind of thing. I guess it would tend to stick in your mind.”
“I think most people have forgotten about it.” Not true. Mention Keely Branscom anywhere in town and eyebrows still rose. He struggled to get some purchase on the conversation. “So how’ve you been?” Now there was an original question.
“Fine.”
“That’s good.” Another brilliant comment. He had to admit she looked fine. Saucy as all get-out, the way she’d always been. Judging from the way the dress fit, she hadn’t put on an extra ounce in ten years.
“How about you?” she asked.
“I’m good.” He wondered how she made her lipstick look like that, as if she’d just licked her lips. He shouldn’t be looking at her mouth, but her eyes weren’t any safer a place to rest his glance. Well, he could look lower, at her breasts rising and falling under the thin, flowery material. That wasn’t such a good idea. Better concentrate on her mouth, even if it did remind him of the one time she’d kissed him.
“What brings you to Vegas?” she asked.
He had to stop and think. Oh, yeah, Brandon. “A friend of mine’s getting married.”
“Really? Anybody I know?”
“I don’t think so. He’s from Wyoming. We met up on the rodeo circuit a few years back. I don’t think he ever made it to the ranch, but we’ve kept in touch.”
“That’s nice.” For a split second she sounded a little wistful. Then that cocky tone of hers took over again. “So what’s up with you, Noah? Found yourself a salt-of-the-earth ranching woman yet?”
“Nope.” Once again she’d managed to hit a subject he was touchy about. “Been a little busy.” He hesitated, not sure how much he wanted to reveal. After all, she’d been the one who’d decided to break off contact with everyone in Saguaro Junction, including her father and sister. But finally he decided to tell her some of the news. Couldn’t hurt. “My dad died a couple of years ago.”
“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.” She gazed up at him, her green eyes filled with sadness. “He was a nice man.”
“Thanks. He was.” He couldn’t ever remember seeing sympathy in her eyes before. Defiance plenty of times, devilment nearly as often and, once, on a very memorable night, desire. Never this soft, endearing sympathy.
He’d always thought of her as being so tough, but maybe she wasn’t. Ten years ago he hadn’t allowed himself to see past her cheeky bravado. Life had been safer that way. But he was older now, and he wondered if he’d missed a few things about Keely. He should have tracked her down, just to make sure she was okay.
“So you and Jonas are running things?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He could say that now. Six months ago he couldn’t have, back when Jonas spent more time chasing women than chasing cows. But B.J. had settled Jonas down considerably. “That’s another thing that’s happened,” he said. “Jonas will be getting married soon.”
“Get outta here!” She grinned. “Shotgun?”
“Nope. He’s marrying your sister.”
Disbelief flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a touching vulnerability. She glanced away. “Well.” Her throat moved in a hard swallow before she looked up, her gaze guarded. “She always was sweet on him, but she’s making a huge mistake.”
“A few months ago I would have agreed with you, but you’d be surprised at how Jonas has changed. He’s getting more responsible by the day.”
“What a shame.”
The old irritation that had always been a part of his conversations with Keely pricked him now. If everybody had Keely’s carefree attitude toward life, the work would never get done. “I happen to be glad for him.”
She gave him that saucy smile, the one that always warned him that a smart-ass remark was coming. “You would be,” she said. “You were born old.”
His jaw clenched. Keely had a real talent for getting under his skin. She always had—in every department. “Everybody has to grow up sometime. Even you.”
“Not if I can help it. And as for B.J. and Jonas, they should have years ahead of them before they have to settle into some boring routine. But no, they’re shackling themselves to each other and that blessed ranch. I hate to see it.”
“Nobody asked you to.” Now, that was a low blow and he hadn’t meant to deliver it. But he couldn’t take it back, and he didn’t know how to smooth over what he’d just said.
Her eyes registered the hurt. “No, I guess nobody did.” She slid her sunglasses back on, and when she spoke again her voice sounded more brittle than bright. “And I suppose my father’s as crotchety as ever?”
He was touched that she was brave enough to ask about Arch. She and her father had fought bitterly all through her teenage years, and he’d practically thrown her out after the centerfold incident. He hadn’t been serious about sending her away, but with her nineteen-year-old view of the world, she’d taken it seriously. Neither of them had been able to swallow their pride long enough to make the connection again.
“Arch is fine,” he said gently, wanting to reassure her of that much, at least. “In perfect health.”
“I’m not surprised,” she said with a grimace, although she sounded relieved. “He wouldn’t tolerate the presence of an infirmity.” She straightened her shoulders. “Well, now that we’re all caught up, I’d better be going. I have an appointment.”
He’d nearly forgotten where they were standing. Before he’d stopped her she’d been about to go inside this dance club. He had a sinking sensation that he knew why. “An appointment?” he asked, trying to keep the question casual.
“Yes. An interview.”
“Oh.” His gut churned. A job interview. The centerfold picture flashed through his mind again and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was trying to get a job dancing on the stage in there. She planned to take off most of her clothes and twirl tho
se little tassel gizmos for the men who patronized this club.
He eyed the entrance once more and noticed chipped paint around the door frame. The rock music coming from inside sounded more sinister than it had a moment ago, and he heard loud male laughter. He hoped this place was a step down from what she’d been doing before and not a step up. But whichever direction she was headed, it looked like the wrong road to him.
“Listen, I’m already late, but it’s been fun seeing you,” she said. “What a coincidence, huh? Take care of yourself, Noah.” She turned toward the shadowy entrance.
Without taking time to think about it, he grabbed her arm. “Don’t go in there.”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “Why not?”
“There have to be better ways to make a living.” His breath hitched. Her bare arm felt warm and smooth beneath his fingers. She had wonderful skin, he remembered now. And she was planning to show way too much of it to strangers.
With her free hand she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. Then she gazed at him as if fascinated by this turn of events. “What do you think I do for a living?”
“I’m…I’m not sure, and to tell the truth I’d rather not know. I’m just asking you not to go for that interview. I’ve been in places like this. I know how they expect the women to—”
“Do you, now?”
He released her arm as if her skin might burn him. “Damn it, Keely. You know what I’m talking about.”
“I’m not sure I do. I’m still getting used to the concept of Noah Garfield in a topless bar. Did someone trick you into going in?”
“No!” The woman sure had a way of getting his goat. “I went in under my own steam. I’m not a saint.”
A slow smile spread over those peach-colored lips. “Couldn’t prove it by me.”
“Look, Keely, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on things. Years ago you seemed determined to head in a certain direction, and you wouldn’t listen to anybody who tried to talk you out of it. But I’m asking you right here, right now, to reconsider. Maybe you met me on this street for a reason. Maybe it’s time to think about alternatives.”
She folded her arms and looked at him. Mischief lurked in her eyes. “Let’s make sure I understand. Instead of going inside and getting a job wiggling my ta-tas for the customers, you want me to reform and go into a more respectable line of work. Is that the gist of it?”
“You’re making fun of me, but yes, that’s the gist of it.”
The gleam of devilment grew brighter. “You want to save me from myself.”
“Aw, hell, Keely.” He figured she was going to roast him for this attempt to do the right thing. “It’s not that topless dancing is so terrible. I know you think I’m some sort of prude, but I’m not. And I understand that you’ve always wanted to kick the status quo in the butt. But isn’t this getting a little old? I should think you’d have moved on to something else by now.”
“I’m not even thirty!”
“Damn close.”
“Ten whole months away, buster.”
“See, it’s the perfect time to make a change.” He was thinking she looked years younger than thirty. Because they’d grown up together he knew exactly how old she was, but a stranger would think she was in her early twenties. No doubt her body would look good on stage for a long time to come, but he didn’t intend to say that. He didn’t even want to think that.
“And what sort of job should I do?” she asked, tapping the toe of her sandal against the pavement.
“I’m not sure.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Now that he’d jumped into this white-knight routine, he didn’t know how to proceed. “Maybe we could kick around some ideas.”
“And when could we do that? You have a wedding to attend, as I recall, and I need to make a living.”
And there was the heart of the matter. If she was looking for a job, she was probably short on cash. He couldn’t very well tell a woman like Keely to forget about the money she’d make dancing topless and take a job flipping burgers instead. She’d laugh in his face. He wasn’t going to convert her to a different lifestyle during one conversation on the street corner.
He stalled, trying to think what to do. “How long have you been in Vegas?”
“Just got here yesterday.”
“Okay.” He thought quickly. One step at a time. “I understand the economic realities. You just came to town and you need a job, but could you hold off for the weekend so we could talk about it? I could cover your expenses for the next few days.”
“You mean, pay for my room and board? I don’t think so.”
“Then how about this? Cancel your room reservation and move in with me for the weekend. Would that save you enough so you wouldn’t have to work right away?”
“You want me to share your hotel room?” She eyed him with interest.
That look triggered a vivid memory. She’d kissed him with the passion of a woman that night in the barn, even at the tender age of sixteen. “Strictly as friends,” he said quickly. “It’s a minisuite. I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed. This isn’t a proposition, Keely.”
“Are you sure?” The mischief had returned to her green eyes. “I realize you’re not in the habit of kicking over the traces, but we’re not in Saguaro Junction anymore. No one from back home has to hear about this. And we all know what a naughty girl I am.”
Warmth flooded through him. She really had a knack for saying exactly what would bring a reaction. “That’s the kind of thinking you need to get away from,” he said. “Life is about more than sex.” At the moment he couldn’t think what else it was about, but he’d get his bearings again soon.
“Let me make sure I understand. You’re inviting me to stay in your room for the weekend, but you have no intention of us fooling around. Instead, you’re going to do some career counseling for me.”
“That’s right.” Not that fooling around with Keely didn’t hold some appeal. But she apparently thought that’s all she was good for, and he didn’t want to reinforce that notion.
She frowned in confusion. “I asked you if you had a wife back home and you said no. But is there a serious girlfriend? Because I can imagine you would be totally loyal once you committed yourself to somebody.”
“No serious girlfriend.” Come to think of it, he hadn’t even had a date in months.
“Noah, are you gay?”
He nearly choked to death. As he was coughing and sputtering, he shook his head and gasped out his denial.
She ticked off her conclusions on the tips of her fingers. “You’re not committed to anyone, you’re not gay, and you don’t want to have sex with me, even if no one back home would ever find out.”
“That’s right.” He did want to have sex with her, always had, but that was a white lie he could live with.
“Then you surely must be a saint who has dropped down out of the sky to save me from my wicked ways. Okay, I accept.”
He cleared his throat and tried to look more confident than he felt. “That’s great.” Now that she’d pointed out to him that only a saint could be expected to resist her, he’d begun to think this whole idea was doomed. But if he could somehow find the strength to keep his hands off her, then maybe she’d develop a new image of herself. And that was worth doing. After all, his brother was marrying her sister. She would be family soon.
“We should probably go pick up your stuff,” he said. “Is your hotel far from here?”
She looked suddenly worried. “Uh, the thing is, they, um… lost my luggage. You know how that happens. I don’t have any stuff.”
“Oh.” So it was worse than he thought. Obviously she was making up the story about lost luggage, so that must mean she was staying in some fleabag motel and didn’t want him to know it. Worse yet, her belongings were pitiful enough to be embarrassing to her. As together as she looked now, the outfit she wore was probably the only decent thing she owned.
Knowing that fact renewed his resolve to pu
ll her out of this nosedive she was in. “Okay, then!” he said with more heartiness than the situation called for. He sounded like a damn used-car salesman. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Let’s walk on back to my hotel. Then I can advance you a little money if you want to go shopping for a few clothes later.”
“We’ll see about that. But before we leave here I want to duck inside and let them know I won’t be keeping the appointment. I don’t want a black mark beside my name, in case I need to come back someday.”
“I’ll go with you.”
She smiled at him. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Why not?”
“In this neighborhood, if some guy is tagging around after a woman, looking like he’s keeping track of her, people might think he’s her pimp.”
As he wondered how she’d become so knowledgeable about such things, ice water shot through his veins. “Keely, please tell me that you’ve never—”
“No. I’ve never. I may be a naughty girl, but I’ve never been that naughty.”
He sighed with relief.
“Yet.”
His muscles tensed all over again and he opened his mouth to deliver another warning.
Keely’s musical laugh cut him off. “Relax. I’m kidding. You were around for the first nineteen years of my life. You should know by now how much I love to tease people. Especially people like you.” She fluttered a hand at him. “Hold down the sidewalk. I’ll be back before you know it.”
He watched her walk through the entrance into the cave-like interior of the club. That Keely. She always could get him going.
Then he blinked as if coming out of a trance. He had just arranged to spend the weekend sleeping in a hotel suite with Keely Branscom.
What the hell had he been thinking? He’d arrived in this place feeling on edge and sexually deprived. Now he’d invited the sexiest woman he’d ever known to stay with him in extremely close quarters. Less than four hours into his Vegas stay, and the city had him right where it wanted him.
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